DVD Reviews

The Green Berets – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Jan 12, 2010, 15:17 GMT

John Wayne leads his special forces troops against the enemy in this first Hollywood treatment of the Vietnam War. It\'s rugged battle action all the way. David Janssen and Jim Hutton co-star. ...more

The song is pretty rousing (already a hit when the film came out), but John Wayne’s patriotic attempt at glorifying the Vietnam War pretty much falls flat.  It’s a film that may seem more comfortable in the 1940s, not the 1960s.  Though it’s the most brutal G-rated film you’ll ever see.  

A group of reporters are being briefed by Sgt. Muldoon (Aldo Ray) and St. McGee (Raymond St. Jacques) about the United States involvement in Vietnam.  The soldiers defend the war vigorously, but skeptical reporter George Beckworth (David Janssen) remains, well, skeptical. 

Leaving the venue he’s challenged by Col. Mike Kirby (John Wayne) to go to Vietnam and see for himself.  Beckworth does just that and ends up in the camp with Kirby, but still has his cynical attitude about the war.  He does see some of the humanitarian aid that is being brought to the villagers. 

Beckworth eventually get his mind “right” and ends up supporting the war (as was John Wayne’s reason for making the film to begin with). 

When you think of the Vietnam War, your cinematic mind might wander to Apocalypse Now, Platoon, MASH or maybe even the Dirty Dozen (although MASH and Dirty Dozen were set in different wars). 

It is rare when a cinephile is asked about war movies during this era you’ll get the Green Berets in response.  The country in 1968 was very much opposed to the war and John Wayne’s response was to create a film to help turn the tide to support the war. 

The results were laughable and possibly only the true believers were put in the right mind that our cynical reporter got into, but their minds were already there.  Earlier I mentioned the Dirty Dozen (also made in 1968) and it more aptly captured the futility that the country was feeling towards this current war - even though the film was set during World War II. 

Wayne’s cinematic war vision seems more apt to be a World War II film from the 1940s than being one from the cynical 60s and upcoming even more cynical 70s.  It’s not too hard to imagine this since the film was entirely shot at Fort Benning in Georgia in stands of tall pine trees. 

Not exactly the view you get when you’re in Da Nang.  It’s easier to imagine it a European setting.  There’s also the famous closing scene where the sun sets in the East.  The Duke also seems far too old for the character he’s portraying, but hey it’s the Duke. 

It seems that Wayne was in a rush to get the film out and turn the public relations tide that he cut some corners on realism and the film suffered through the ages for it.  As we well know, the tide was too far out to be turned and maybe the Green Berets’ laugh factor and heavy-handedness only added to the tide.  

The Green Berets is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.40:1).  Special features are presented in standard definition and include the 7 minute vintage making of “The Moviemakers” and the 3 minute theatrical trailer.  

I guess John Wayne’s heart was in the right place, but his film may have had the opposite effect than what he imagined.  The film is a pure piece of propaganda and the Duke’s vision was blinded by his need to support the war.  The film is uneven and beats you over the head with patriotism, thereby making it some what unpalatable. 

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